Sam & Max: Hit the Road

Sam & Max: Hit the Road is a comedic graphic adventure game developed and published by LucasArts for DOS in 1993. It was ported to Windows, Mac, and Linux in the subsequent years following its release.

Sam & Max, a dog and rabbit P.I. duo, are two characters created by Steve Purcell and started their lives in a comic book series beginning in 1987. Hit the Road is based on the 1989 Sam & Max comic entitled ‘On the Road’.

Sam & Max are on a mission to investigate the disappearance of a couple of circus freaks, but there is more to the story than what’s on the surface. The two must travel cross country, visiting various state attractions to solve this case. Primarily controlling Sam (with Max hot on your heels), look for clues, decipher puzzles, and interrogate people to advance the story. Though not directly controllable, Max is a usable ‘item’ in your inventory. There are also a plethora of mini-games to discover and play. The game uses a point-and-click interface and has open gameplay allowing the player to travel between locations at will.

Hit the Road was quite a hit with both gamers and fans and snapped up several awards in its time. It’s got a wonderfully unique sense of humor mixed with challenging puzzles and entertaining mini-games. Even if you’re not big on adventure games, this one might change your mind.